The end of one the start of another

The end of another year, yet again I wonder where on earth it went and what I did during it all. I just had a quick flick back through the blog and there's a lot there however so I don't think I was slacking too much.

Paul and me a top of Screel last January, we walk up there quite a lot, I can see the hill from the window where I am typing this from, it's a bit misty over there today so the view from the top wouldn't be what is was the day the picture was taken.

I spent a weekend with Doug early in the year and got the chance to spend a bit of time with Blogger Paul, we've only ever really had a quick hello before so that was good. Paul's son was filming the movie star that used to be known as Doug Fitch. We visited Paul's workshop too which is really quite a fantastic place at Barrington Court.

I've been working on and off on my kiln, I wish I'd just had a batch of three or four weeks solid to have been able to work on it but that just hasn't been the way. It's forever having to be slotted into everything else that needs doing along the way. 2011 might just be it's year I think (if it isn't I may well just lose the plot entirely!)

Pots, lots of pots, some I've been fair chuffed with and some that were, well quite frankly awful but let's not dwell on those.
Spring Fling was a wonderful event again and swiftly followed by a trip to Germany which was an absolute blast. Wonderful time with wonderful people. Thanks to all that made it so special.

At times this year I've spent time with people that I've thought frightened me until I actually got to know them a bit better and discover that in fact it's me being a complete nincompoop and worrying about things that are to do with my lack of confidence and not the other people at all. Once I got my head round that I've made loads of new friends! (Note to self for new year - don't be so stupid!)

Meeting the Queen, what more can I say?

That was a surreal but great day, good to share it with Natalie and Jools too, it's great when you have memories like that to enjoy together later.


June had the yucky incident too which I would very much like to have not happened but it made me realise how lucky I am. The world I live and work in is wonderful. The family, friends and other crafts people around me are generous and kind and helped me no end. It is as they say things like that that make you realise who your friends are and by god they're good uns. Thank you all, you know who you are.

These lads in the picture are Michael and Andrew specialists in helping damsels in distress. Thanks boys.
I have sold a lot of pots this year and without those of you that buy them I wouldn't be able to keep on doing what I love so much. Thank you everyone who has bought and enjoyed or simply admired my pots, you are all very kind.

A bundle of bloggers, good friends again and all of us at a lovely show, Potfest in the Park in August. (Christine, me, Dan, Novie, Margaret)

FLPs have become well embedded in me I think this year, expect more antics from them during 2011.
Writing this piece for the Craft&Design magazine has been an interesting process, Thanks Jon and Jo and Helen for all your help in editing the things. Much appreciated.

So here we are at the end of it all. (Oh yes Paul and me did go and paddle in the sea on monday, it wasn't quite as cold as we had imagined it would be but we didn't hang about to long.)
2011's diary is filling up already. March I'm demoing at the SPA's Kindrogan weekend, April off to the USA with Mr Fitch for a few weeks - eek! May sees Spring Fling again, June Earth and Fire, August an exhibition with Phil McMenemy (which we have an awful lot of work to do for) I think that's the lot for now but no doubt things will crop up. I've orders to go straight back to work too next week and lots of plans and new things that need making too.

I hope 2011 will be peaceful and full of happiness for you all. Have a safe one and I'll see you there no doubt.

Home!

Well now Christmas can begin, Paul arrived home at lunch time after a journey that took him from Shimonoski on a bus, a train, the shinkansen, the tube, a plane, a bus, a hotel, a bus, a very long plane, a bus, a plane, another hotel and a car drive to end up here again. It's really great to have him home finally, it's been too long.

So do all have a very merry and peaceful Christmas. Best wishes. x

Less Brrrr

Today it's only been minus in the single figure so it feels really rather warm - in comparison. I'm still wondering when the temperature will cease to be something that causes such a lot of interest and conversation. Probably never, this is Britain after all. Hollis that's Centigrade by the way.
Here is the November / December issue of Craft&Design Magazine for your delectation.

Nippy

The last firing of 2010 for me was unpacked yesterday, in it was this dish which I was very pleased with.
I failed to keep up with giving you these articles to read, not sure if you've had this one yet, there are two more to come, I'll drip them in in the next few weeks.
I'm still making my way to work through the frozen wastes each day (apparently minus 16 when I arrived at work yesterday, no wonder after walking briskly for the 2 miles I still hadn't warmed up. Speaking of cold, what temperature does toothpaste freeze at? It was much more difficult than usual to get any out of the tube this morning). Anyway work wise I want to make a head start on some of the orders that are waiting as 2011 is already looking like it is going to be a busy year in terms of things happening, hopefully there will be lots of sales to go along with the busyness.
Here's a few photos of the owl jar that I showed you wet recently. He's sitting happily on my shelf at work now.
It still feels like there is an awful lot to do before I stop for Christmas, at home and at work. Mind you maybe that's just me giving myself way too many projects again, I tend to give myself a rather hard time I think, maybe it's time to be thinking of slowing down and getting ready for a rest.

The end of an era.

I took a last minute flying visit trip down to Manchester this week. It had been a "shall I / shan't I" venture for a week or so what with the weather and the fact that I am happily becoming a hermit now. In the end I did go and I'm so pleased that I did, it was great to get to Alex McErlain's retirement gathering. He's the chap (if you haven't been paying enough attention in the past) that was the key to my starting to make pots as he was the head of ceramics at Manchester Metropolitan University when I did my degree. He's a very special man.

Dreadful picture sorry, I was trying not to get in anyones way when I took it and so it is rather blurred. This is Alex talking about some of the key moments in his life at the uni. He's holding a bloody lovely Patrick Sargent bowl there, this is in the Special Collections department at the uni, a place that is full of wonderful and amazing things. Sharon Blakey, also my ceramics tutor there, led us through Alex's time there too and made a lovely tale of it.

At the end of Alex's tale came a look at what comes next including the ongoing collaboration with Alice Kettle and the couple of tons of clay dug out of a certain field at Hollyford in Devon and his plans to hot foot it down there and get to work with it.

Here's a bunch of ex MMU students with Alex in the middle.

Finally a bit of a building in Manchester made from red brick, there are lots of them built with bricks which I think all come from the same place - Alex would I am sure be able to correct me if I'm wrong there. Where I used to live in a wee village called Little Lever on the outskirts of Bolton, just along the canal from Manchester, our house was built over the top of an old coal seam, the colliery workings were down at the bottom of the street and at the top of the street was a brick works. The garden was full of clay and somewhere amongst my boxes of stuff are some pots that I made with slip on them made from this clay and there's one which I used it to make a glaze with. I'll see if I can't dig them out when I have a minute. You know I think that's the first time I've ever thought "isn't it a shame I don't live there anymore" (and that was only because I was thinking about that clay).

Monday

I thought you might be interested to see my newest acquisition. It's the lovely fat jar on the right there nestled in with a Doug jug and an Alan jug and a tiny little Hannah jug and a shard. It's a really yummy pot made by Andrew Douglas and I love it. I should have taken some more photos as I haven't decided which angle I like it best from yet.

I unpacked a glaze kiln this morning and every pot in it was an order for Christmas, it's such a relief when they all come out ok. I shall be box scrounging and packing them up this week to get them away to my customers in time for Christmas.
Speaking of the Christmas, the latest is that it looks likely that Paulwon'tbehomeforChristmas. If I say it fast it doesn't sound as bad. They are running behind schedule due to bad weather and various minor catastrophes. He should know more by the middle of this week. Grrrrrr.

This saturday was my last pre Christmas show of 2010 in fact my last show of 2010. It was very enjoyable and for the first time it had been held in the village got a great amount of people, I think everyone there sold well and a good time was had by all. At the other side of the hall to me was this stand, just look at those two jugs that are being used to decorate it with. Nice.
Finally a huge congratulations to my little sis who today got herself a permanent job doing what she loves, being a nursery nurse. Well done Sarah!

Gelston Charity Craft Fair

Whew what a week, exhausting! Anyway friday is here, another week closer to Paul getting home, I'm getting excited now, I can see the end, they're still a bit delayed after bad weather and breaking bits but fingers still crossed for the 22nd / 23rd arriving back in the UK.
This weekend is the last of my Christmas craft fairs, this time it's a Gelston village hall, just a couple of miles south of Castle Douglas if you fancy popping in. That's saturday from 10am till 1pm, crafts and charity stalls along with tea and cakes of course. Maybe see you there.

Online Shop Open!

www.madebyhandonline.com

Brand spanking new online shop madebyhandonline is now open for business just in time for you all to do your Christmas shopping, pop along, have a good browse and chose some lovely things to give or maybe even keep for yourself. I have got a selection of pots up there, it's quite a small selection so far, the whole taking of pictures and getting them fit to go up is what you can describe as a learning curve but I hope to get some more up there over the weekend. Let me know what you think please.

Today has been erm, well, cold again, when I wonder will it stop being something to be commented on? It is making me shattered though, it uses up so much more energy just to do the normal things than it seems to in "normal" weather.

These pictures are all from the one jar, it's only small, about 6" high but I spent a silly amount of time decorating it.
I can't show you the other pots that I slipped as then my sister, who I know reads this, would know what her Christmas present was and that would never do.

Snow!

I was not even vaguely expecting that when I opened the curtains this morning that the world would have gone even fluffier and whiter than it had been.

This post has a lot of pictures, it's a long one so do be warned. Not as long though as my walk to work took me this morning. It's not far, just over a mile and a half, for it to have taken an hour is silly. It was because, of course I'm sure you can guess, I decorated the whole quarter of a mile of the driveway to work. That's where I got slightly way laid. Otherwise I'd have been there in half an hour. Alan had already been out in the car so he'd left me the two lovely parallel lines from the wheels which just beg to be decorated in between.

It would be rude not to take advantage of such a blank canvas. I do like the idea of slip trailing an enormous slab of clay though...

Paul tells me he's checking my blog when he gets the chance to see what I've been up to when the shifts he's working mean it's not a good time of day/night to ring - so hello lovely! Look what you're missing.There has been an incident with some broken bits of kit out there so a delay while they wait for spares to be hand delivered from the UK. whether this will delay him getting home we don't yet know but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will still go to plan.

My snow clearing elf has been at it again, what a star, he shovelled and gritted a path through the farm yard for me, thanks ever so much Alan. Wonderful.

In between the wonderful walks to work and back I have actually been making some pots too. Christmas presents are underway for the family and some more orders that have come in. I find it so hard to say no to people who are wanting things for Christmas but I have got to the point where now I will try my best but I just can't promise it. Fingers crossed all.

One of today's offerings is this pressed dish which I like but as to whether or not it will stay in one piece we shall have to see. It's the joining bit in the middle I'm not sure about.

The journey home, again utterly wonderful. Thankfully I'd only gotten as far as the kiln shed before I realised that I'd left my house keys at work. It was such a clear night, stars all over the sky and so still that you could hear all sorts of things from miles away. Wonderful.

What makes a mark like this? It wasn't there this morning and the lines are about 5 or 6" long and there's quite a lot of them across the front garden. No idea what they are.

And finally a little film for your amusement.